The Clifton clarion., 1887-05-11


 shculd all go to darce which was going on near by 1 gladly seconed tho proposal, and after drinking with q great flourish the health of tue happy couple in glass of Ja-i maica rum, pronounced myself ready to go. eaa zi-e.i4 s. T
 The house selected for the. oeca= sion was larger than the average dwelling of the island, having 8 floor that wonld accommodate eight or ten couples. When I en- tered the room the ball was ID full -wing-the floor was crowded with iadies and gentlemen of color, all engaged in high kicking, uproar- ;onsly shouting and laughing, the men improvising songs or snatcbes which they yelled forth as loudly as their lungs would let them, ~hile they whirled their dusky partners through the intoxicating mazes of the dance. In the corner on the floor sat three little urchins, each attired in 8 dirty and ragged shirt, well reefed withaI, hammer ing away upon a species of drum made of cheese box, with calfs hide tackled over the top, the un- der part being left open like tam horine. This, with the songs of the men, was the music, and, though it had little harmony, yet 1t served we'll to exhilarate and ex- 1 cite the dancers-more they did ..ot wish. h another corner stood q table formed of barrel and board, on which stood a bottle of gin and a bottle of rum, with one old earth arn cup This was the refresh nent of the evening-apart of the entertainment fully appreciated by III present, for I noticed that the hotties were often removed, while fresh ones were put in their places. Meanwhile, as I sat chatting twixt two Congo dafnsels, the gay -ty waxed high, so high that ltgot into the air and I could smell it; so deemipg best to make my es- cape ere should become inoculat- ed I said nasty good night to the two charmers and slipped out the door unpreceived by the friend who had introduced me to the fes- tive scene. Outside, much to my surprise, found Urillia waiting ! for mo. She had come to escort me home, but did not enter the house because of her color preju- dice, for though her brother had |
 married negro, get she would not associate with them in the least, neither would she or her mother recognize this brothers wife. ,, Indeed they feltvery badly about their marriage, for the Scavellas had always held themselves aloof from the blacks; in fact, they had long years ago been slave owners, and many of the young negroes on the island were the children, of these former slaves; hence the deg radiation of intermarriage, partic-. ularily in this case. aa s.d-
 But this intermarriago of the race is common iI ths. Bahamas, at least ,he relationship is, for it often happens that DO marriage ceremony IS considered necessary. As q consequence of this the per centage of illegitimate children is very large. Oncs later 1 made 8 visit to Rum Cay-one of the Ba- hamas- and while there I met an ancient neg,o woman named Ann ZanieIes, the mother of large family. upon which she looked with evident pride. yet they were every one by different fathers, some white and some black, but this good mother had never been married nor did she seem to see any wrong in this fact.
 The following scriptural com nsnd on the pass question have been resurrected as timely. They are said 10 have been suspended conspicnously in the office of a. certain general passenger agent in Ohio: oaa
 Thou shalt not pass.-Numbers, xx., IS. ..f. ..
 Suffer not man to pass.-Jud- ges iii 2S. 'i.
 The wicked shall no more pass.- 1 Nahum i, 5.
 None shall ever. pass.-Isiah xx1iv.. 10.
 This generation shall not pass Mark xiii, 30. ,e@s-. .e> b4eioa
 Thongh they roar, yet they shall not pass.-Jer., ii.. 42,
 i So he paid tue fare and went Jonah l., 3